Laurie R. King

Wednesday was a double-header here at the Everyone’s Reading The Beekeeper’s Apprentice library tour—after a lunch out-of-doors with Connie Silver, the librarian who was instrumental in the choice of Beekeeper’s Apprentice for the two counties, and a visit to the gorgeously renovated Bloomfield Township library, we invaded the nearby Doyle Center (great name, no?) for a noon event. Then it was Farmington in the evening, with around 150 Beekeeper lovers coming to talk about the book, about writing, about the relative merits of Jeremy Irons and Rupert Brooke…Â

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This is the seventh year the Oakland and Wayne counties have sponsored a One Book read, and they do it very well. Over the past three months, gearing up for my visit, the libraries in the system have held book discussions about The Beekeeper’s Apprentice, but they’ve also done a whole slew of related programs. Auburn Hills, Southfield, Royal Oak and William Faust libraries have showed and discussed Sherlock Holmes films. Canton, Dearborn, Rochester Hills, and Royal Oak invited eminent Sherlockians in to talk about Conan Doyle, Doctor Watson, and The Great Detective. Jamie and Robin Agnew, the knowledgeable and enthusiastic owners of Aunt Agatha’s books in Ann Arbor, (who have faithfully schlepped my books to each event and listened to my jokes without falling asleep once) gave a series of talks on The History of the Mystery, and the great Wiletta Heising (author of the books Detecting Women and Detecting Men) talked at several venues about WWI Historical mysteries (which I am sorry to have missed—Wiletta, you working on a book about it, I hope?)

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Several libraries tackled the subject of beekeeping, although so far as I know, only Royal Oak (where I’ll be tonight) dared an actual demonstration hive. I’ll let you know if the bees are still there, clinging to the rafters.

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I’m meeting tonight for drinks and dinner with various Mutterings and Virtual Book Club members, and some librarians, at Bastone near the Royal Oak library—do come by and join us.  And stay for the discussion, which promises to be lively!